


Of Monkeys and Dinosaurs

by KrissiTheStarfleetCaptain



Series: Stories of James T. Kirk and Leonard H. McCoy [4]
Category: Night at the Museum (Movies), Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Bones is not suicidal...but I think I really push his limits here, Break Up, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Heartbreak, I did not know that it would go this way people, Jim!Pilot, M/M, McCoy!Nightguard, Minor Violence, Night At the Museum AU, This just...kinda happened?, hug for Bones, i don't know what i was thinking, i still don't know how to tag, it all got out of hand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-07-06 04:11:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15878271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrissiTheStarfleetCaptain/pseuds/KrissiTheStarfleetCaptain
Summary: “Life, Bones, has sometimes a strange way of bringing people together.”Leonard is a medical student short on money so he takes on a job as a night guard at the local Natural History Museum, thinking it'll be easy but things aren't as they seem...Or, the Night at the Museum AU that REALLY nobody has ever asked for where Bones is a night guard and Jim a pilot from World War I, part of a museum exhibition.





	1. Sunset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leonard just wants to have a quiet date night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. I do not know how...or why but it did happen okay! Don't judge me. I was working on another plot and somehow got stuck so I watched Night at the Museum and my brain...my brain is crazy, man. 
> 
> So. It is not even beta read yet. But I need to get it out there, otherwise, I will not be able to sleep tonight. 
> 
> Good luck! :'D

Pretty much everybody knows what going to college is like. A lot of hard work and even higher costs. So you end up both, tired and terribly broke. Now, imagine going to medical school. Yeah, it is a nightmare and sometimes Leonard McCoy wonders why he even puts himself through his living hell. His exams are responsible for killing off his brain cells, and he can’t even take care of his rent because he is way too proud to allow his parents to pay for his tuition fees. 

So what is the only solution to such a situation? Right. Get a job. And this is exactly what Leo did. And what a job he got himself! 

See, his schedule is quite tight. He has classes throughout the morning and shifts at the hospital during the afternoon so his only time to get a couple hours of work done is in the evenings or the weekend. However, he needs to sleep too, even with his messed up sleep/wake cycle. 

Let me also tell you a secret, there aren’t many jobs that fit Leo’s time planner or are somewhat compatible with his…somehow complicated approach towards other human beings, and even less pay well enough to build a strong enough opposition to the sea of financial debts that is threatening to drown him. 

Lucky him, there appeared an opening, not long after he started his straining search, at the local Museum of Natural History. As a night guard. Right, a medical student spends his nights awake in solitude, instead of…you know…sleeping. But this job sounded better to Leo than being one of those overly cheery baristas in some Starbucks, surrounded by annoying hipsters kids who wanted their soya decaffeinated lattes with organic brown sugar and in a biodegradable plastic cup. 

Yeah. No thanks. 

Hanging out in the museum every night from 6 pm to 6 am sounded way better to him. 

At least that’s what he was thinking when he filled in the application form and arrived for his shift.

Walk in the park, right? 

You would think so. That is what Leo was expecting. Have a nap, do some work, walk around, and have another nap. That was his original plan for the night. 

He had no idea what was coming for him. Didn’t even bother to read that instruction manual the old night guard gave him at the start. Why would anyone ever give you instructions on how to guard a museum. After all, who would ever try to break into a museum? The Ole Miss University Museum, for crying out loud! All they have are a few wax figures, a T-Rex skeleton, a tiny Egypt exposition, and some creepy stuffed animals that make Leo’s cat hair allergy come to life again. 

Literally, only an idiot would try to get in. 

Leo never even considered the possibility of something trying to get out…

And who in his right mind would? He couldn’t have known that everything in this museum comes to life every night because of some weird ancient spell caused by a piece of polished gold also known as the Tablet of Ahkmenrah, damn it! 

He wasn’t prepared at all when this T-Rex suddenly decided to take a walk and play fetch with him! If only Leo had read the manual...

When the monkey...capuchin, whatever...peed on him he knew that this isn’t going to work and he would have to take a job as a barista and endure hours of humiliation which was still better than this primate slapping him in the face and stealing his freaking keys.

This was not in the contract. Nobody informed him about this shit show! Leo did not sign up for this!

When the Huns started to hunt him and promised in their gibberish language to tear his limbs out...Yeah, Leo got that from being caught up in said attempted action, he was sure he wouldn’t even last the night. Seriously. This is not how he imagined his life to end. 

Killed by Huns. In a museum. Goddamn it.

But you have to remember, this is a love story. It might not seem like one yet but it sure is! 

You probably wonder how since Leonard was being pulled apart by a bunch of crazy people, and that certainly is not romantic. At least not for most people, no offence.

Whilst Leo was contemplating his very existence, wondering how on Earth he managed to get caught up in such an incredulous situation, his knight in shining armour made an appearance. 

Alright, neither was the man a knight nor was he wearing an armour. But he did wear a British Royal Flying Corps Uniform from World War One and Christ, did he wear it well. 

Though it was not the uniform that caught Leo’s attention when the man offered him his hand, after chasing the Huns away, still something inexplicable to him but those electric blue eyes that looked down at him with amusement. Leonard felt like he was staring up into the sky on a warm Georgian summer day and his heart made a jump. 

Captain James Tiberius Kirk. Son of Captain George Kirk. 

Captain Kirk was South Africa’s top flying ace during the First World War. Following the outbreak of war in 1914, James served with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Rifles in the German South-West Africa campaign. Following an honourable discharge in 1915, he returned to university to study aerospace engineering before enlisting with the Royal Flying Corps in March 1917. He won all of his 54 victories in 1918 and was awarded the Victoria Cross the next year. He saved uncountable lives and went on to become a Marshall, also playing a significant role during the Second World War. 

He was a national hero, an idol, the embodiment of bravery. Strong, selfless, intelligent. 

When Leonard took his hand and James pulled him back on his feet, charming smile on his lips, he knew he had a problem. 

Leonard McCoy fell for a hero, a pilot, the looks of a Greek half-god with azure eyes and golden hair. 

And boy, did he fall hard. 

He probably hit his head because he was in so much in trouble. So so much trouble. 

How could you miss somebody who was made out wax? Crave their touch when they aren’t around you? How could he love somebody who only came alive from sundown to sunrise, leaving their time together so painfully limited? 

But this is the thing about love, right? It is cruel sometimes. Unimaginable painful. And then again, you do not choose who you love. 

Anyway, Leo came back the next day and he does ever since.

Exactly for this very reason is night time his favourite time of day. 

 

 

 

Just to make sure, and because of his growing paranoia (Yeah, that is what work here does to you), Leo checks the lock on the doors twice during his round, making sure his keys are securely on his belt. He really can’t have Dexter, the stupid primate that does still pee on his head occasionally (to Jim's overjoyed delight, of course), run around again and be covered in mud afterwards. 

Contrary to common belief, Leonard does learn from his mistakes.

One of the said mistakes is to underestimate Capuchins. Never. Ever. Underestimate. Primates. No matter how small. That is the lesson he’s learned throughout his time here. This one, and many more. 

He throws another look at his watch when he returns to the main hall, where Rexy, the Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, has his place. One minute until sunset and everything is ready. 

Leonard takes a minute to take a breath and looks at the picnic basket on top of the cashier’s counter. 

Sure, he knows damn well it is silly to prepare a picnic basket for somebody who doesn’t need to eat. Nevertheless, Jim does like the taste. But this is not the point! The museum has finally finished constructing the new observatory and Leo knows how much Jim loves the stars. 

Normally, they would just go outside and look at the stars but it is winter and even though it is similar to winter in Georgia, mild and quite pleasant, it has been raining for the last couple of days and wet feet aren’t the most romantic thing. 

Therefore, the observatory will do just fine. 

He doesn’t even realise how time passes, busy daydreaming until he feels a heavy warm breath in his neck. When Leo turns around, Rexy is already lowering his head and throws his favourite bone down in front of his feet, waggling his tail in excitement. 

“Hey there, Rexy.”, there is a smile on his lips when he scratches the dinosaur’s snout and picks up the bone, one of the T-Rex’s lower ribs, and takes a few steps back. “Ready?” The skeleton gives an anticipating roar and flexes his hind legs surprisingly smoothly, considering he is made out of…bones only, when Leonard strikes out. “Fetch!”, the moment he throws the rib, Rexy is already chasing after it, skittering over the polished floor. 

He is watching him with a crooked grin, when he suddenly hears a soft chuckle directly behind him, a sound that makes him shiver and his chest go all warm and fuzzy. 

Strong arms come gently around his waist and Leo immediately closes his eyes when he feels Jim’s lips on his neck. 

“I see you two are getting pretty good at this game.” Alone the other man’s voice makes his knees go wobbly and week. The only solution is, of course, to lean against him and enjoy the feeling of being held, surrounded by his scent. 

God, how could Jim smell so nice? Just like a summer field and forest? How could he be so warm and his lips so soft, even though he isn’t…

No. Leonard will not get into this again. These thoughts only tend to upset him and these hours are the ones he is supposed to be happiest! Jim is here, alive, and this is all that matters. 

“Yeah, it is a pretty easy game.”, he shrugs lightly and starts to turn around when Jim lets him go reluctantly and is greeted with an affectionate smile that takes his breath away. Leonard cups the blond’s cheek and pulls him in for a sweet kiss that quickly grows and becomes more passionate. 

That is usual for the both of them. Once they start, they cannot let go of each other. There is always a constant attraction between them. Irresistible and inevitable. Destiny is a bitch. But there isn’t anything they can do. 

They both know that this relationship has no future. Each night is too short, and their feelings for each other only grow. 

God, how Leonard wishes that this could be his life. Day and night. But if night time is all he gets, he is happy to take it and never let go. 

“Come.”, after a while, that does not seem long enough, he pulls away a bit to look at Jim who curiously inclines his head when he hears the tone of his voice. “I have to show you something.” So he gently takes the other man’s hand who comes along all too willingly. 

Jim watches him how he gets the picknick basket and the dazzling smile on his slightly plush lips grows. “You care to tell me where we are going, Bones?” 

Yeah. Bones. That was Jim’s nickname for him once he learnt that Leonard is a doctor, well, training and studying to be a doctor. “We used to call them Sawbones.”, the pilot explained when he noticed his irritated expression. Since then he is Bones. Even though, Leonard loves to grumble about it and refuses to admit that he actually adores this name. 

Really, he loves it. But do never ever tell this Jim. 

“Nah.” That is his simple reply to the blond’s question and his grin becomes insanely big, because he is a fool in love after all, when Jim laughs amused. “Alright, Mr Mysterious. Lead the way.” 

And so he does. Knowing that Jim would follow him anywhere, the same way Leonard would follow him all across the universe and back if necessary.

If only it was possible… 

 

 

 

Sitting here with Jim, on a blanket in the observatory, millions of stars above them, he couldn’t in his wildest dreams imagine where he would rather be. 

Well, …he can but again, this is one of those things he does not allow himself to think about. 

They talk about everything, with so much ease. Leonard’s studies, Jim’s fascination with modern technology. It seems natural as if there weren’t any differences between them. They are just two loving hearts, beating to the same rhythm.

What an irony to use exactly these words. Beating hearts…

“And this, this is Altair, the brightest star in Aquila. Underneath it you can find Scutum and if you look here…” Lying on their back and looking up, Leonard has stopped listening to Jim’s explanations, he is way too enchanted by the way his eyes light up when he talks about stars. He is just as radiant and bright. Just as beautiful. Watching his profile, he reaches out to tenderly allow his fingertips to trace over his cheek. Jim turns his head towards him with a small smile. “You haven’t heard a single word I’ve said, right?” He doesn’t sound disappointed, more amused and leans towards the caressing, just like a kitten that wants to be petted. Leonard smirks cheekily and slowly shakes his head because there is no need to pretend. 

Jim simply shifts a little, bridging the already small gap between them and reconnects their lips in a tender kiss. His eyes fall close on their own and Leonard places his hand gently on his chest, holding on to the fabric of his uniform. He moans softly when he feels Jim pulling him closer by his hip, trying desperately to get as close to each other as possible. They touch, they kiss and just feel each other, their sense high with endorphins. 

But of course, Leonard had to ruin it. Because this is what he does. It’s a pattern with him. He receives a wonderful gift and still manages to find downsides.

His hand has sneaked under Jim’s uniform, without his conscious doing, and he can feel the hot skin beneath his fingertips. The other man shivers pleased under his touch which makes Leo smile a bit against his lip. He places his hand gently on Jim’s chest again, directly above his heart except...

Except there is no heartbeat. 

He knows this. It’s not the first time he realises this but despite everything and because he is an idiot he tenses up slightly and Jim, this wonderful sensitive man, he notices.

Of course, he does. He always does and is pulling away before Leonard has even the chance of attempting to save the moment.

“Jim, no! Wait...” Leo reaches out for him but the blond’s already sitting up and is quietly looking down, a small frown on his face. On those gorgeous features that just aren’t meant to look sad, terribly sufficient breaking Leonard’s racing heart. “Jim. Please.” He doesn’t care how desperate he sounds, how begging, pleading. “Please, Darlin’. Look at me.”

And Jim does as he is asked and Leo forgets how to breathe, seeing the sadness in his baby blue eyes. “I am so sorry, Jim.”, he takes his hand slowly and entangles their fingers while watching his reaction carefully. “I didn’t mean to-“ 

Whatever it is Leonard has wanted to say, he is interrupted by the unmistakable yell of a certain capuchin monkey coming from somewhere downstairs, followed by the sound of breaking glass and shattering metal and he meets Jim’s eyes. 

Of course, he understands. “Go, Bones. You have a job to do. I’ll take care of the picnic.”, he smiles at him, at least he tries to make it look convincing. 

Leonard is reluctant to leave him, they need to talk about this but Jim is right. He has a job to do and considering the sound of things breaking is getting louder, his presence is probably needed. “Thanks, Jim. We talk later! Promise!” Then he quickly gets on his feet and runs towards the noise, hoping to prevent the worst, leaving Jim behind in the observatory. 

This is not how he imagined this evening to go. Not at all. 

 

 

 

By the time he has managed to save Dexter out of the mouth of the lion and extinguish the fire in the cave of the Neanderthals, it is barely minutes away from sunrise so he finds himself again jogging across the corridors of the museum, hurrying towards the World War I exhibition in order to talk to Jim before it is too late. 

He finds the picnic basket neatly packed at the foot of the stage, the one Jim can always be found on during the day, when he arrives totally out of breath, struggling for air so obvious that the former pilot turns around when he comes to a staggering hold. 

“Jim. I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did. It was stupid. You know I love you and I don’t care…care that…”  
“That I am not alive?”  
His words and the coldness of his voice make Leonard lose his ability to formulate a coherent sentence for a second and he swallows hard. “This is not what I was trying to say.”, he whispers and watches with horror how the man he has grown to love like nobody before starts to distance himself. 

He can see it in his eyes, the way he looks at him. Emptiness where there used to be light and cheerfulness. 

“It is what you meant, Leonard.”, Jim responds softly and never has it hurt so much to hear his own name. His heart starts to crumble and he shakes his head slowly. Unable to accept what is happening.

“No. Jim. Jim, please…” But he doesn’t listen to his begging, to his pleading. 

“We both knew that this…”, he makes a vague gesture pointing between them, as if what they have…what they had could ever be described by the movement of his hand…as if it is nothing, “…could never work out.”

This is not happening. No, please, this cannot be happening. 

But Leonard doesn’t know how to speak. Doesn’t know how to stop this. To stop this man from ripping his heart apart. With nothing but words. It is dreadful, excruciating. No, there is no word in this world that could ever describe what he is feeling in the wink in which Jim takes everything from him. 

“Leonard, I am not alive. I never will be. I know how much you wish that I was made out of flesh and bone…”  
“No…”  
“But I am not. I am nothing but wax. The model of a man that was once alive and now a relic”  
“That’s not true…” He keeps shaking his head, not willing to accept…this.  
Jim gives him a gentle smile, tender as if Leonard is a child unwilling to learn an important lesson. And maybe in Jim’s eyes, Leonard is a child, after all, he’s spent nearly fifty years in this museum and time does leave its trace. 

“It is true. But those feelings, we have for each other? They aren’t right. Bones, we cannot continue like this. You can’t throw your life away for me.” 

Somehow these words make him angry, and anger makes it possible for him to act. It motivates while pain paralyses you. 

“Maybe you let me decide on that, huh? How about that? After all, it is my life we are talking about and I can decide what I will do with it and with who I want to spend it with! Damn it, Jim! I want to spend my life with you and I don’t care if we only have the nights together. It’s enough! It is better than a life without you!”

He doesn’t even realise how he ends up screaming, but he does and it feels liberating. But not liberating enough. 

Jim closes his eyes as if he is in pain as if Leo’s words have hit him hard and he immediately wants to take everything back. However, he does not get that chance. 

“You say that now. But you will change your mind. Trust me.”, his voice is barely audible but enough for Leonard to understand every single word. 

“That…That is not fair, Jim! You don’t have the right-” “Life is not fair, Bones!” He is so shocked by the fact that Jim has raised his voice that he stumbles backwards. He’s never heard the other man shout, and is too startle to react so he is left to watch.

He doesn’t want it to end. Not like this…But Jim doesn’t leave them much of a choice. 

“It is not fair.”, Jim repeats again in a softer tone, seeing how much he has bothered Leonard earlier. He finally locks eyes with the other man, but his words are like daggers to Leo’s heart. Stabbing it mercilessly over and over again until the only thing he wants is to be left to die, to end this torture. 

“Life made you fall in love with me. And I am not worth your love. How can you love something that is not alive? You need somebody made out of flesh and bones, just like you. You need somebody who will give you all the love you deserve. All the time and for the rest of your life. I am not this somebody, Leonard. I will not allow you to do this to yourself…” 

He slowly starts to get into position because the sun is only moments away but Leonard couldn’t care less about this. Not right now. The next moment he is right in front of Jim, staring full of despaired rage into those blue eyes that return his expression with sadness. 

“No, Jim! You…you are just scared. You are already giving up without even having tried to work this out! It is not life that is unfair, it is you!” Leo’s watches the light starting to creep over Jim’s features and shakes his head repeatedly at the look of his tender smile. 

“I am sorry, Bones.” 

“No. No, Jim. No. Please. Please, don’t do this! Jim! JIM!” 

No matter how loud he screams at him and shakes his shoulder, it is too late. The first sun rays have touched him and there is nothing that Leonard could do.

The face he loves so much has turned to wax, unmovable. His eyes…those beautiful eyes full of light and dreams and hope …all life has left them.

He can feel his heartache and his body shiver, giving up on him when indescribable coldness closes up on him, darkness fills all those spaces where there has been light before. Where there has been love…there is nothing. Vastness. Emptiness. But he welcomes it. He rather feels nothing than pain.

Is this what dying feels like?

“Jim…” His voice is barely a whisper, a last prayer out of complete despair, fingers tracing the cold wax where there has been warmth and skin before. 

There is no answer. No cheeky smile. Not even a smug wink. 

Only silence. 

Their time together begins with sunset and ends with sunrise. 

But somehow this feels different. 

It feels like the end. 

 

_To be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, you made it! :D
> 
> Thanks for reading! The second Chapter will follow soon!;)
> 
> Say hi to me on [Tumblr](https://marythepoppins.tumblr.com/)!! ;D


	2. Day Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len is having a hard time accepting things, one of these are Spock's looks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii...I'm back. See, I promised to be back earlier but somehow I got all busy with Uni and Law School is a bitch so...sorry people. But guess what, I started writing the second chapter and it somehow got out of control so you will get two more chapters! Yay! And since I like to get things done, these will be posted before the end of the year! ;D

Yes, I know what you must be thinking at the moment. 

This love story **sucks**!

Well…yeah. Sorry. That’s love to you. It is mean and unpredictable. And there isn’t much we can do after heartbreak. We can just grow up, get ourselves together, and pull through like strong and resilient human beings. 

Leonard is not such a human being.

He is a fucking mess. 

He doesn’t even remember how he carried himself back to his apartment that morning, but he ends up curled up under his blanket and just wishes to drown in his misery. 

This is day one.

Len studies psychology as one of his modules and he knows the stages that follow a break-up. But is this really what Jim and he have done though? Broken up? Like a pair of moron teenagers? 

The gaping hole in his chest that once has been his heart doesn’t feel like it. He’s been through his share of breakups. Some of which have been tougher than others. The way things ended with Jocelyn over a year ago was messy. He is still pretty damn sure that it all will come back and bite him in the ass one day. Their fall out had left him raw and open, with the clear belief that he would never be able to find love again.

 _Good to be right_ , a tiny dark voice whispers in his head and shoving him closer towards the abyss. 

However, nothing has ever made him feel the way he is feeling now. It didn’t feel as if his relationship has found an end. No, Len felt as if he has crashed into a wall with full speed and his whole world has fallen apart.

What did he do to deserve this? Didn’t he love Jim enough? Doesn’t he deserve forgiveness for his mistake? 

The first stage of heartbreak is the **desperation for answers**.

Leonard doesn’t go for his lectures this day. He lies in bed and asks himself questions that nobody can give him an answer to. He goes through every moment, every memory he has with Jim and analysis it. He dissects it. Trying to find his flaws, his mistakes. What is it he could have done better? 

Where did he go wrong? 

Because he couldn’t have lost his heart for no proper reason. There has to be an answer to everything! 

He doesn’t sleep this night. 

Leonard reaches the second stage of heartbreak somewhen in the morning of the second day. 

**Denial**. 

That is what gets him out of bed. He drags himself to the coffee machine. One foot after another. Carefully. Steady. The same mantra spinning through his thoughts. 

_This is not over. It cannot be over._

He takes a shower and gets dressed. 

_A minor setback. Nothing more. We can fix this._

Leonard goes to his lectures, catches up on what he missed the day before, completes his shift at the hospital. 

_We will get through this._

He goes straight home and to bed that day. 

The third stage. **Anger**.

Unfortunately, he has never been good with this. Leonard is a man of strong emotion and an infamous temper, yes. But he is far too kind and caring behind his gruff appearance, to ever make anyone feel his anger who doesn’t deserve it. 

At the moment there are only two beings on this planet who could possibly fulfil all the necessary requirements. Jim is nowhere to be found. So, this leaves only himself.

And what is the world’s most recognised method of self-punishment? Exactly, alcohol. 

Day three is the day Leonard gets drunk and this is where our story picks up again.

Len has been in this bar for over three hours now. The moment he finished his shift he found his way here and never moved off this chair ever since. Honestly, he doesn’t even plan on leaving any time soon. The guy behind the bar keeps giving him drinks and as long as Len pays his tab and causes no trouble it will stay this way. 

Southern gentlemen like him never cause trouble. 

There is a small but firm hand on his shoulder when he is finishing his…eight? Ninth drink that night? Whatever, who is counting? 

He puts down his glass slowly and turns around his head, that little rotation already sending him spinning. Trying very hard to not lose orientation, he squints his eyes and takes a second or two to recognise the person behind him. 

“What’s up, Ny?”, his drawl is even heavier than usual on his tongue and he tries very hard to stay focused on his friend. Her dark eyes are full of concern and her hand on his shoulder only gains in strength. 

“We are here to take you home, Len.” Her usage of the word ‘we’ makes his gaze waver a bit past her, just to find her boyfriend Spock towering not far behind. 

His presence seems so wrong in such a place like this. Bars and Spock…nah. These two things just do not work together. It’s as simple as that. The stoic man raises pointedly an eyebrow which makes Leonard realise that he is more or less staring at him.

He quickly shakes his head and looks back at Nyota. If Len is very frank, he has never been able to understand what she, a major in linguistics, sees in the eccentric computer science student. It is so odd and unusual that they have found each other, still, they somehow make it work. 

So, why the fuck couldn’t he and Jim? 

This particular happy thought is reason enough for Leonard to order another drink, but he is reminded of Nyota’s hand still on his shoulder. 

“I don’t want to go home. Leave me alone.” His friends aren’t the type of people to just give up on him and leave because of his usual grumbling. Still, he tries, shifts slightly in order to shake of her hand and drops his head between his shoulders. 

Nyota’s hand remains in exactly the same place. She is a sudden anchor, grounds him. Stops his fall. 

He can feel the emotion bubbling up in his chest but keeps fighting on against it. 

Her voice is so soft and kind, it nearly sends Leonard over the edge, but he just presses the heels of his hands against his eyes. 

“Len, I don’t know what happened. And if you don’t want to talk about it that’s fine. But you are clearly hurting. Badly. We are all worried about you. So please let me make sure you get home safely.” 

Leonard bites his bottom lip, shaking his head. He stops fighting against those tears and with that, he stops being angry. 

**Acceptance**. The final stage.

His friend’s arms are around him the moment a chocked sound escapes him, and he hides his face in her shoulder when more follow. His body is shaking violently when all the pain collapses over him and Nyota is just there, holds him and doesn’t ask any questions.

This is when Leonard understands the reason why this doesn’t feel like a heartbreak. The simple truth is that he isn’t crying over a relationship that has ended. 

He is in mourning. Grieving for an idea, a life, that has never stood a chance outside of his fantasies and dreams. 

Jim is right. They never had a future. 

This doesn’t mean that he won’t get a chance to cry over it. All the shared dreams and nights full of promises. 

This doesn’t mean that he won’t get the chance to be angry about it. Angry with life and destiny and how cruel fate can be to put two lives on the same path who are not meant to be together. He hates this feeling of being powerless, like a puppet. Angry with Jim, for teaching him how to love again. It has all been for nothing…

There is one thing he can do. He might not be able to save his future with Jim, but Leonard will sure as hell not let them end things like this. He will save their relationship. 

But not tonight. No, Leonard will cry for his lost love tonight because it is the only way to mend his broken heart. He will mourn the death of the fairy tale he has called his future with the ignorance of a foul in love. 

The last thing he remembers this night is Nyota cradling his hair. 

 

 

Leonard groans the moment he opens his eyes the next morning. The light feels like daggers to his brain and he generally feels pretty shitty. Ever got run over by bus? That probably summarises what he is going through right now. He turns onto his back and puts his arm over his face. A sudden wave of nausea hits him, and he tries to shakily breathe on against it. 

Fuck, that’s one of the many reasons he never gets wasted. He has the worst hangovers in history. 

It takes a few minutes for the sickness to pass before he dares to slowly sit up and squint his eyes open.  
He regrets it almost immediately and leans back against the backrest. 

_Hang on…_

Leonard rights himself up the next second when his body catches up with his brain and he frantically looks around the living room that definitely is not his. 

“What the hell…?”, he heaves himself off the couch, that isn’t his either and makes a couple of tentative steps. His legs are weak but not giving up under him, nor is the room upside down. Brilliant. 

When his hearing finally catches up with the rest of his senses, he notices the quiet voices coming from an adjacent room. Judging by the scent that is filling the air in front of the door, it is probably the kitchen. The thought of breakfast nearly sends him vomiting but he gets a grip and pushes down the handle. 

Leonard has seen his share of strange things, no doubt. He has worked in ER and it is the source of this world’s weirdness. He has seen eyes sealed with superglue, zip ties around dicks and mobile phones where they simply do not belong. 

Spock in sweatpants tops it all. 

No, _please_. Spock. Wearing. Grey. Sweatpants. And a white t-shirt for the matter. Could it get any more surreal? 

Nyota harrumphs loudly which draws Leo’s attention to her. He quickly stops staring at the other man and closes his mouth. “Morning, Len. How are you feeling?”, she inclines her head lightly when he sits down on the free chair next to her and he runs his fingers through his hair. “Pretty bad.” 

“I am not surprised.” The sound of Spock’s voice makes him look up again and he critically watches the green liquid that he puts down in front of Leonard. “You excessively consumed alcohol last night. Your body’s reaction to such vast amounts of toxins should have been more than predictable. Considering your knowledge as a medical student.” 

Leonard drops his eyes again and grumbles quietly but doesn’t say anything in return. After all, Spock is right. He should have known better. But he is only human and not a (probably) humanoid machine like Nyota’s boyfriend.

“Drink this. It will help with your hangover.”, his friend points towards the algae-coloured beverage opposite him and he reluctantly follows her orders. 

He takes a sip and nearly spits it all out again. “What the fuck is this?!” This stuff just killed off his freaking taste buds. Nyota rolls her eyes but starts counting down on her hand. 

“Blueberries, spinach, kale, banana, chia seeds, and Greek yoghurt. It’s an approved remedy, trust me. Spock’s friend has it all the time when he is staying over the night. Just down it all.” 

She looks at him encouragingly and Leonard huffs not very enthusiastically but brings the glass back to his lips. He takes a deep breath and just gets it over with. 

God, he regrets his life choices. 

A cough and deep sigh of relief escape him once all of this hellish drink is gone. “God, Spock. Your friend has no taste.” 

Leo rubs with the back of his hand over his lips and mostly misses the look Nyota and Spock exchange between themselves. 

“That is a very common assumption, Leonard.” He frowns slightly and shakes his head lightly because it always makes him feel uncomfortable when the other man agrees with him. 

Nyota keeps regarding him with this questioning look and he tries to ignore it as well as he can, but his defences start to crumble after some time. She just has this talent of getting behind all the barriers without saying a single word. 

“Uhm…”, he rubs his neck and searches for words, “How come I am here?” 

Yes, great, Len. Evasive techniques. _Smart_.

“You were in no state to make it back to your apartment, so we just brought you to ours. It’s closer.”, the way she answers his question leaves no room for further and his brain is not back to its full capacity yet to come up with more clever things. 

Well done. 

“Uhm…I…I think I lost my job…”, he avoids looking at her and stares down at his hands instead.

This technically isn’t much of a lie. He did lose his job…because he quit the morning he left after his…argument…with Jim. Though Leo is pretty sure that his friend doesn’t believe that him losing his job would cause him to respond in such a way, she looks at him with so much warm empathy in her eyes that he nearly starts crying again. 

“The one at the museum?”, Nyota places her hand gently on his arm and he nods lightly in return. “Yeah. That one.” 

“That’s a shame. You seemed to like it.” He looks up a bit surprised by her words and raises his eyebrow in confusion. “I did? Why?” 

Her dark eyes seem to wander over his face and she takes her time to reply. Somehow – he doesn’t know how – but somehow, she just knows that there is more. Something more important. Something that Leonard would not tell her. He is sure of it. 

“You were happy. Happier than I’ve seen you in a long time, Len.” 

He honestly doesn’t know what to say but still, he opens his mouth to just…

“It’s a shame the museum is losing their Egypt exhibit.” 

What? 

“But they are quite valuable pieces. I don’t really understand why they were moved from New York in the first place.” 

Leonard keeps staring at Spock – Hell, this is slowly becoming a pattern with him – and tries to make sense of the words that are leaving his mouth. 

“What did you just say?”, Spock raises his eyebrow at his question, obviously not amused by the other man’s lack of ability to follow him but does comply with his request.  
“I don’t understand why the exhibits were moved.” 

“No.”, he groans and quickly shakes his head, “The thing before.” 

“The Egypt exhibit is being moved back to New York.” 

What in the name of Christ almighty? 

They are moving the Egypt exhibit. Which means that they are moving the Tablet of Ahkmenrah. 

And without the tablet, none of the exhibits would come to life at night anymore. 

Jim wouldn’t come to life anymore…

“When are they moving it?!”, he literally jumps out of his chair and grabs the man’s shoulders, pulling him slightly across the table. Spock’s facial expression is a bit puzzled and he is not a great fan of being touched, but despite questioning Leonard’s state of sanity he still gives him a calm answer. 

“Tomorrow morning. Please, let go of me.” He immediately drops his hands and makes a step back. “Sorry.”, Leo’s mind is having a racing duel with his heart and he quickly shakes his head. 

Jim will not come to life anymore come this morning…

“I gotta go.”, he walks out of the kitchen door, ignoring the confused looks Spock and Nyota are giving his back but he pops his head back in a second later. “Thanks for the help.” 

Yes, he might be in a rush, but his momma did not raise a rude boy. 

 

 

Running down the street to his own apartment, he throws a quick look at his phone. The museum closes in less than five hours and sunset is in a few minutes after that. 

Leonard has less than five hours to figure out what he is going to do. 

It’s probably going to be something stupid. 

 

_To be continued …_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, well done for making it through! I'm still looking for a beta so...please. I will send you pictures of my cat. :'D  
> Anyways, thanks for reading!  
> Say hi to me on [Tumblr](https://marythepoppins.tumblr.com/)!! ;D


	3. Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leonard does something stupid. Huns save the day. We see the sunrise finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. I'm very sorry. I promised this chapter like way earlier but...I had exams and coursework. Argh. Sorry. I have to stop making promises! And excuses...
> 
> So. I just shut up! Enjoy reading this chapter!

Technically, Leonard does not break into the museum after closing hours...

He simply uses the spare key he still owns and has conveniently forgotten to return.  
So, he doesn’t break in, he lets himself in.

Semantically and legally, there is a significant difference. 

He gets into the museum some time after 3 am, all dressed in black. (He is totally not breaking in, mind you. Just adapting to the environment.) 

Leo closes the heavy door as quietly as possible behind him but the moment it clicks shut, he sees Rexy moving almost instantly.

The T-Rex skeleton yawns widely and shakes himself before he audibly inhales. Immediately he freezes and raises his head as if he is trying to pick up a certain scent. 

It’s interesting. Really. He will never get tired off pointing this out but how on Earth could this dinosaur smell even the slightest thing? He is only a skeleton.

A fact which does not seem to matter to Rexy in the slightest. His head spins around towards Leo the next second and he runs at him full T-Rex speed, his tail wiggling widely.

“Wow-wow, boy.”, Leonard quickly raises his hands but his pet dinosaur stops in front of him anyways and rubs his big head against him, a deep purring sound leaving his (nonexistent) chest. 

Despite everything that has happened in the last couple of days, he has to laugh and gently rubs over his snout. “I missed you too, buddy.”

He keeps petting him for a while until there is a loud thud coming from one of the smaller boxes in the hall and he approaches it quickly. 

It takes him two tries to open the sealed lid, but a very unhappy looking capuchin jumps out and straight into his arms.

“Dexter! They are transferring you too?”, his question is rewarded with a slap to the face and a charade of angry monkey chattering. Leo glares at him but gives the small animal the chance to get rid of his frustration.

“Alright, alright. I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have left without saying goodbye first.” The heartfelt honest apology makes Dexter quiet down, but he still crosses his arms and pokes his tongue out at him.

Yeah, he is definitely not going to miss him. Good luck with this one, New York.

Quickly approaching steps, make Leonard turn around and somebody seems to stab a knife into his heart.

In a figurative sense, obviously.

Jim slows down when their eyes meet, and his face takes on a look of confusion. “Bones? What are you doing here?”

He needs a moment to learn how to speak again, the emotions taking over his chest and effectively choking him up. 

Jesus, get a grip, Len. 

Listening to his inner voice for once, he takes a deep breath and locks those stupid feelings deep inside him. Giving them a hard time to bubble up again. 

Leo makes instinctively a step towards Jim, his voice is surprisingly calm when he speaks and meets those stupid blue eyes, “They are going to move the tablet to New York, Jim.”

From this moment on, it only takes him a few seconds to figure out the truth. The goddamn truth about what actually happened a couple of days ago. 

The real reason for their argument.

He sees it in the way Jim tries to raise his eyebrows in surprise, how he uncomfortably switches his weight from one foot onto the other. 

Suddenly, Leonard is glad that Jim is not alive. Because he would have killed him. 

This. Stupid. SonofaBitch!?!

Leonard squints his eyes slightly and balls his hands to fits at his sides, to keep himself from strangling the blonde right this instant. “But you already knew that...Didn’t you?”

One might expect that Jim would have the decency to admit what he did. Or simply stay quiet. But no! This insufferable idiot dares to open his mouth! 

“I don’t know…” 

That’s it. No, he will not tolerate any more of his lies, and he sure as hell won’t allow Jim to toy with him like this anymore! 

He doesn’t even notice how quickly he crosses the room and grabs the other man harshly by his uniform. “You fucking knew, you asshole!”

His voice sounds so angry and hurt, he barely recognises it himself and this feeling of despair and confusion only grows, the longer Jim keeps looking at him. Blue eyes sad and apologetic but Leo really doesn’t give a damn at the moment. “Bones...”

“Oh don’t ‘Bones’-me.”, he huffs and shakes him a bit. “You did this all on purpose, you selfish ignorant fuckwit! You knew that the tablet was about to get moved, didn’t you? Tell me the fucking truth!” 

Jim gives him the slightest of nods followed by a quiet whisper, “Yes.”

Wow, now he is being honest! Good for him! This doesn’t reduce Leo’s frustration, not even the tiniest bit. “When were you going to tell me? How could you do this?!“ 

The blonde drops his eyes in defeat and avoids Leonard’s angry look completely. The first hit of guilt and maybe shame seems to creep on his features. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I didn’t want to but I didn’t want you to miss me, either. I thought that by…by…” 

“That by breaking my heart I would stop loving your idiotic ass and care less when you are gone?”, he growls and nearly misses the light nod Jim gives him. “Well, let me tell you then that this was a stupid plan and it-“

Suddenly there is a loud shattering sound, glass that is being broken and Leo break up in the middle of his rant. 

Jim’s head spins around in perfect synchrony with Leo’s, towards the noise that came from the direction of the Egypt exhibition.  
“What was that?” Leonard frowns deeply and follows Jim smoothly, no prompt needed. They might have argued, but they still work perfectly together. 

Some things just cannot be changed. 

Slowing down to match Jim’s increasingly cautious steps, Leonard notices the three shadows on the wall opposite the entrance to the Egyptian exhibit. 

He furrows his brows when there are three quiet voices which sound vaguely familiar, but he can’t really tell why…

“Jim.” 

The pilot simply raises his hand, wordlessly asking him to be quiet, and even though he is still terribly annoyed with the other man, Leonard complies without hesitation. For once.  
When they reach the showroom, Leo finally understands why he thought that he recognises the voices. 

“Cecil?”, he stares irritated at the old man, his eyes dart to the other two former nightguards next to him, holding the Tablet of Ahkmenrah and he squints his eyes. “What the hell are you doing?” 

“Leonard? You shouldn’t even be here. You quit.”, Cecil gives him an irritated look but fakes a smile on his lips, whilst Leo keeps walking towards him.

Jim steps slowly forward as well, his military experience probably taking over, and he sees the danger coming before Leo even properly understands what exactly is happening.

“Listen, you are an old man. We can talk about this. Give me the tablet. I don’t want to-“, the left hook would have hit him across his jaw if Jim didn’t push him away in the right moment, blocking the punch effectively but judging by the surprised look in his eyes, he did not expect this kind of force coming from an infirm old man. 

What the actual fuck? 

Leonard might not want to admit it but seeing Cecil land a hit in Jim’s face with his next move, despite being concerning, tops even the sight of Spock in sweatpants.

This man is at least seventy years old, looking like a hundred, but he moves as if he has just been reborn in the body of a twenty-year-old. 

“You’re not the only one the tablet gives a little bit of life back, Captain.”, Cecil laughs when Jim has to make a step back at the man’s next attack. 

But his laughter quickly stops, when the blonde turns smoothly around, knocks his elbow into one of his partners’ stomach and grabs the tablet from him, throwing it towards Leonard.

He catches it but nearly drops it in surprise of this development and watches with horror how Jim headlocks Cecil to stop him from going after Leonard but at the same time has to deal with two more assailants. 

Jim looks at him, tightening his grip around the man’s neck when he realizes that he is seriously outmanned. “Bones, run!”

Normally, he isn’t one for running away from his problems and leaving Jim, but he has to protect the tablet and those old men really don’t look like they are playing games. Leo is also pretty useless when it comes to fistfights…He’ll only hinder more than help…

“Go!”, Jim’s next loud prompt throws him out of his reluctant thoughts and he starts running down the hallway, holds the tablet tightly under his arm. 

His feet carry him through the museum while he searches for his key with his free hand before he reaches the door that leads to the History of the Huns exhibit. 

“C’mon…”, Leo mumbles between clenched teeth, frantically going through his pockets but the key is gone. 

Well, shit. That’s just typical. 

He can hear footsteps coming closer, and he can tell that these are not Jim’s. Too heavy, too driven. 

His eyes fall down at a light pull at his trousers and he sees Dexter holding up a key towards him. “Thanks, buddy.” Leonard quickly takes the key off him but hesitates when he looks at the tablet. 

“Can you carry it?”, he crouches down in front of him, turns around his head when the steps grow louder and louder. The capuchin looks at him then at the tablet and back again. 

Dexter inclines his head in a nod and holds out his arms towards him. “Good. I need you to hide this, Dexter, alright? Hide it so that Cecil can’t find it.” He passes it to him and watches his furry friend run off on his hind legs, holding on to the magic tablet. 

Let’s hope this will buy them at least some time. 

Leonard gets back up and opens quickly the door to the exhibition but just when he is about to enter, he feels a strong hand grab his shoulder painfully tight, turning him around, followed by a fist to his stomach that makes him go down on his knees with a groan. 

The hand pulls him harshly up by his hair and he finds himself blurry eyed looking up at the old nightguard. 

Cecil’s eyes wander over him before the grip in his hair becomes even tighter. “Where is the tablet, Leonard?” 

He is worried about Jim. Leonard knows he can take care of himself but where are he and his military fighting skills when he could really use some of that? 

“I don’t know.”, Leo glares up at the old man and groans with pain when his knee lands in his stomach too, barely able to keep himself upright on his knees but Cecil does a good job working against gravity by yanking him up by his hair again. 

“Don’t play me, son. This is really not worth all the trouble. Tell me where it is and you’ll never have to see us again.” 

Honestly, some part of Leo agreed with Cecil. This is not worth the trouble. He doesn’t work here anymore; the tablet was leaving this place anyways and why should it matter to him where it ends up? 

He could just let them have it and be done with it. It wouldn’t be any different to him. 

Unfortunately, if Leonard did something like this, let those three men have the tablet that clearly doesn’t belong to them, then he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. This tablet has brought him so much pain but also so many great memories.

Leo will not let these idiots taint those. 

“Fuck you, Cecil.”, he growls darkly and struggles against his hand, but his hold is very likely made of iron and god damn that stupid piece of gold to give those old men superhuman strength. 

That’s just humiliating! 

The old nightguard sighs softly as if he is very sorry for what he is about to do but his evil crooked smirk tells him otherwise. “Sleep tight, hotshot.” 

In the next second, his knuckles connect with Leo’s temple and everything goes dark. 

 

 

“ _Bones_?!”

It takes Leonard a few minutes to come around again and he opens his eyes to see the ceiling above him. His head is buzzing and his ears are ringing like crazy.

He suddenly has an unwelcome flashback to last morning when he woke up from his hangover and another groan escapes him. 

Carefully, Leo sits up on the floor and he rubs over his face with his hands. 

“Bones?” 

He isn’t imagining this. It’s really Jim’s voice which means it isn’t sunrise yet and they still have time to fix this! 

“Jim? Jim!”, he calls back quickly and struggles on his feet, grabs hold of one of the bars of the jail cell like door and shakes it. 

It doesn’t move a bit and the key he had in his hand is gone too. 

God, he is an idiot. How does he always end up in these situations?! 

Cecil has locked him up in the Huns exhibit and is probably already somewhere on the run with the tablet. On his way to Vegas maybe?

Leo breathes out with relief when Jim finds him, concern written all over the blonde’s face when he steps closer and closes his hands around the bars. “Bones.” 

“It’s locked.”, despite his words, Jim gives the door another shake (making Leo roll his eyes) and a frown forms on his face whilst thinking. “Hang in there…I’ll try to find something to open the door with…”, he raises a hand and is about to turn around when he freezes in his movements and stares behind Leonard. “…uhm…”

“What?”, he frowns confused at him, “What is it?” 

He feels a hot breath against his neck and turns around slowly, just to find himself nose to nose with Attila the Hun.

Ah. Their relationship is still very complicated to explain. A lot of shouting and angry glares is involved. Well, that is actually everything their relationship consists off…

Not that complicated after all. 

Leonard harrumphs loudly and opens his mouth to say something but Attila beats him to it with a triad of angry shouting and gibberish words, ending it all with spitting down on the floor in the front of his feet. 

Without pulling his eyes away from the Hun, he speaks up with a high voice because he needs a translation, “Jim?”  
“He says he wants to rip you apart.” 

Just the usual then. Nothing to worry about. 

“Thanks, Jim.” 

He breathes in deeply first, gathers the bit of bravery he has and looks the leader of the Huns firmly into the eye.

“Alright, Attila, your guys and you have to listen up. The tablet has been stolen.”

The Hun stares at him completely unimpressed whilst Jim translate behind him. 

“And I need your help getting it. We need to find those old guys and…”, he looks at the empty expression in Attila’s face, “… _punch_ them hard!” 

That seems to get the Huns’ attention and they break out in a round of roaring laughter. “ _Punch_?”, Attila repeats with a twinkle in his eyes and Leonard seriously thinks that nothing in his life has prepared him for this moment. 

“Yeah. _Punch_!”, he shouts the last word and the group of Huns breaks out in cheers. 

Attila grabs him by his shoulders, pulls him into a hug before literally lifting him up and placing him aside as if he weighed nothing at all. 

When the door comes crashing down because a group of excited Huns impacting with it, Jim makes a very clever move and steps quickly aside. 

Once the Huns are out to go on their manhunt, Jim rushes towards Leonard and reaches out towards his face when he sees the bruise forming under his eye. But he quickly lifts a hand and shakes his head. “I’m fine. Do you think they are gone?” 

The pilot shakes his head and gives him the latest updates. “The two old guys managed to hold me down long enough for Cecil to go after you. I’m sorry, Bones. But they are still here. My squad is on to them. We won’t let them go far. Where is the tablet?” 

Leonard rubs the back of his neck. “I-I gave it to Dexter.” 

He is pretty sure that Jim’s eyes are about to pop out, but he has no time to criticizes his improvisation skills when shouting starts down the hallway and the Huns are celebrating their catch of two old nightguards, roaring continuously, “Punch, punch, punch!” 

A normal day at the museum. 

“Good, we have two.”, Jim nods next to him and his hand wanders to the gun at his belt, his eyes watching the two men bound onto their chairs who don’t really dare to move much with the riffles of Jim’s fellow soldiers pointed at them. 

Jim’s math has always been impeccable. “Yeah. But where is Cecil?”, Leo scowls deeply because if Cecil isn’t here it can only mean that he abandoned the idea of teamwork because he received a chance to have the tablet for himself. 

With his usual good timing, Dexter comes running, without the tablet, and jumps up and down to draw Leo’s attention to him, pointing at the door that leads into the colonist’s stables 

“Damn it.”, he growls, squeezes Jim’s arm before turning around on his heels and running into the direction the capuchin guides him. But they are too late, when they stubble outside, Leo sees Cecil chase off on the horse carriage with the tablet in the seat next to him. 

“No!”, he pulls at his hair in frustration and groans. Leonard could also really use something to punch right now. 

Leave it to Jim to always have a solution to a helpless situation, and give Leo more material to rant about.

When the elegant chestnut mare Jim has lovingly named Buttercup appears in front of him and he finds said blonde in the saddle on top of her, Leo knows immediately he is not going to survive the night. 

Jim holds out his hand towards him and Leo pulls himself up, despite all the head shaking and grumbling. “I’m so going to regret this.” 

He puts his arms tightly around Jim’s middle and buries his face in his shoulder when Jim merely clicks his tongue and Buttercup dashes off after the horse carriage. 

They are lighter and quicker, allowing them to catch up with Cecil within minutes and Leonard finds the guts to unstick his face from Jim’s shoulder to glare over at the old night guard. 

“Give me the Tablet, Cecil!”, the cold wind keeps whipping into his face and he reaches out with one hand, desperately trying to grab the tablet but it is too far away. He needs those horses to stop. 

As if reading his mind, Cecil grins pleased with himself, “These are stagecoach horses, Leonard. They don’t stop except if you know the secret word to make them.” 

Right. Wait, Leo remembers catching up on his history months ago and he read about this particular carriage. 

What was the word again? He frowns for a second, fights against a headache that is slowly forming because of the hits he took today. Luckily, Jim is good at keeping Buttercup in a smooth straight line, so he doesn’t have to worry from falling off her back at least. 

Hang on, Buttercup’s name isn’t really Buttercup. Jim just chose it because he thought it fit better. Idiot, nicknaming everything. One day Leonard might just about introduce himself as Bones. 

God, he probably has a concussion. But he forces himself to focus and remembers the time Jim showed him his favorite horse for the first time… 

“Dakota!”

The horses in front of Cecil’s carriage freeze immediately and the sudden momentum sends him of his seat, down onto the ground.

Jim pulls at Buttercup’s reins and she gently comes to a halt, allowing both of them to jump off her back. 

The moment Leo’s feet touch the ground again, he runs over to the carriage and grabs the tablet from where it lies in the mud next to it. He breathes out in relief when he holds it close to his chest, only barely realizing how Jim walks over to Cecil on the other side and pulls him up by what looks like a painful wristlock. 

Good thing, Leonard totally agrees with the fact that this man deserves his wrist to be twisted after punching his lights. Bad thing is, Cecil’s loud groan startles the horses and sends them running back to the museum, including Jim’s brave Buttercup.

Great, here went their ride. They are going to have to walk back all the way up the hill. 

“You will regret this. I will make sure…”, Jim apparently has enough of Cecil for today effectively knocks him out with a precise hit to his jaw, leaving Leonard to stare at him at confusion about that unexpected display of violence but the other man just shrugs with a slight smirk. “I never liked him much anyway.” 

Well, he sure as hell would not argue with this statement after today. 

Jim sits Cecil’s flaccid body against the closest tree and Leo makes a mental note to leave an anonymous tip with the authorities once they are back. Let them deal with it. He’s enough of this mess. 

He assesses the sky above them and grabs the tablet a bit tighter before turning around to face Jim, “C’mon quick. We don’t have much time until the sun goes up.”

The blonde nods lightly and follows on his heels up the hill, Leo’s nervousness increasing exponentially with every second that passes but if they keep this speed up, they can make it. He has no doubt. 

 

 

“Bones, wait.”

At the sound of Jim’s voice, Leonard turns around to face him, raises his eyebrows confused when he sees that he has stopped. 

“Sit with me.”

Huh?! His frown immediately deepens at that request, and he nearly drops the tablet in surprise. Surely, this is not quite the time for a break. 

“What, why?”

There is a small smile on Jim’s lips when he holds out his hand towards him and Leo doesn’t like it at all.

“ _Watch the sunrise with me._ ”

If it is possible for him to scowl, even more, he probably does it right now. 

“Watch the sunrise with-“, it takes another second for the complete realization to hit him and he makes a step back, away from the other man as if he might get burned by simply staying too close. “What?! No! Jim, you are going to die!”

Looking at Jim’s calm, tender facial expression, he somehow starts to believe, that this is exactly the plan. 

“You have to die in order to have lived, Bones.”, Jim keeps holding out his hand, his eyes pleading with him. 

For a moment, Leonard just freezes. Speechless. Everything getting out of hand again.

No…he…will not. He can’t! Leonard keeps shaking his head, not accepting again what Jim has in mind…He can’t just let him die! 

“I hate your philosophical bullshit, Jim. I fucking do.” 

Yes, Jim won’t come alive after this night but at least…at least he still…somehow would be there. You know? Not really gone. Just…a wax figure in a museum. Lifeless…

Not real. Nothing of Jim will be left, it will be merely a ghost. Haunting Leonard for eternity. 

But he can’t live without Jim…

Why does this kind of shit always happen to him?!

His eyes start getting dangerously wet because slowly, he understands why Jim did what he did. Why he tried to push him away. Leo probably would have done the same and still, he hates Jim for keeping this from him. 

“Please, sit with me.” Jim tries again to get Leonard’s attention, makes a step forward and Leo looks at his hand, still reaching for him. Waiting. 

And their time…god. Their time is running out. 

He stares at Jim, unable to speak, holding back some traitorous sobs but he makes a choice. 

Leonard decides to sit down. He takes his hand reluctantly and sits down next to him on the wet grass, facing east. 

This is what Jim wants and the small part of Leonard’s brain, that is not crying with the selfish desire to keep an illusion alive, accepts this wish. 

Somehow, he understands. Jim wants to live and the thought of never coming back alive frightens him. But more so, what if he woke up one day, just to find Leonard gone? 

No, this isn’t even an option for him. Jim has no place in this world. Has no right to be in the way of Leonard’s bright future. 

He’ll rather be the first to go. 

They sit in silence next to each other, their fingers entangled, both too scared to say a single world until Jim carefully speaks up.

“Promise me something.”, he waits for Leo to meet his eyes before continuing, “Promise me you’ll come and visit my exhibit on a Wednesday, around midday.”

This is a strangely specific request and he frowns at the blonde, holding onto his hand tighter, “Why?”

Jim gives him one of his crooked smiles and shrugs his shoulders lightly. It’s the way he looks when he knows something that Leo doesn’t, but doesn’t want to give it away and simply pretends it is not even that big of a deal. 

“I think there is something you need to see.”

Despite everything, he can feel the corner of his mouth twitch into a small smile and Leonard shakes his head in disbelieve. “You have the weirdest last wishes, you know that?”

Nodding in agreement, because Jim is aware of this, he laughs softly and squeezes his hand.  
“Yeah. I know.”

Again, they turn quiet, but the silence that follows is more comfortable, even though Leonard is not any less tense. His breath catches slightly when he notices how the sky starts turning a light orange, slowly chasing the darkness away. 

His heart starts racing with panic, clenching at Jim’s hand as if it is a lifeline and maybe…maybe if he just holds on tightly enough, then the tablet will make an exception? Jim has told him that it was created to allow the pharaohs to reunite with their loved ones after death. 

Leonard loves Jim with every cell in his body, maybe the tablet would recognise that? Let a fairy tale come true, his love protecting them both from the sunrise? 

From the look in Jim’s eyes, he doubts that this will be the case. His expression breaks his heart and tears start running down his face, even before this…his wonderful idiot starts to speak and cups his cheek.

“You gave me love, Leonard. You gave a purpose to my existence.” 

A chocked sob escapes him, and he leans into his hand, kissing the inside of his palm and his wrist. 

“Every single night, it was you who gave me life and not tablet. And I will always be grateful…”, Captain James T. Kirk looks him seriously into the eye, ‘…but you have to keep going. You have to live for yourself. Promise me.” 

He sees how Jim is fighting with his own tears, but keeping it together for Leonard’s sake, caressing his cheek and temple with his thumb whilst Leo keeps just shaking his head, being his pathetic self. “I-I promise.”, his words are barely a whisper and he believes that he is very close to suffocating when he hears Jim’s next calm words. 

“It’s time. You know it is.”

No. No, he doesn’t want it to be time. He wants every second to last eternity. He wants the sun to stay away, stop burning, stop coming closer. The Earth should stop rotating. Maybe they could run, always stay in the night…

“What am I going to do without you, Jim?”

He hates how broken he sounds but that’s what he is. Broken and shattered into pieces. How can Jim expect of him to continue without him? It’s just not fair. Not right at all! Leonard doesn’t want to live without Jim…but he promised. So, he will, for Jim. 

Jim smiles gently at him, his eyes are so full of love that he somehow manages to ease the heavy feeling on his chest. Somehow, he gives him the feeling that everything is going to be okay. 

How? Nothing will be fine when Jim is gone…

“Life, Bones, has sometimes a strange way of bringing people together.”, he touches their foreheads together and strokes through his hair. “You will be alright.”

Leonard closes his eyes for a second and bites his bottom lip, but Jim keeps tracing his cheekbones and urges him to meet his gaze and he gets lost in this ocean of comforting blue. 

“I will always love you. No matter where I go.”

He draws a shaky breath and cups Jim’s cheeks in return, swallows hard. 

“I love you, too, Jim. Always.”

It doesn’t seem nearly enough. These words…they did not convey anything close to what he feels for the man in front of him. They seem meaningless, empty. 

Leonard presses his lips against Jim’s, desperate to remember the taste of their kiss. The feeling of being whole, his soul finding its missing piece and their existence in perfect harmony. 

When he pulls away, he finds himself thinking how beautiful Jim looks when the first sunrays grace his features, the blue of his eyes turning the color of the calm sea.

Jim’s smile is full of relief and the only thing Leo can do is smile back. In pain and hurting but he smiles.

“Thank you.” With his last breath, Jim wipes away a single tear running down Leonard’s cheek before slowly crumbling into ash. Disappearing right in front of his eyes.

But he never touches the earth, just in the right moment, a strong wind blows and carries him away, off into the sky.

Leonard watches him go, becoming moon dust and stars. Just where Jim belongs. 

This gives Leo comfort, makes his heart feel a tiny bit lighter. 

Maybe, just maybe, everything will really work out.

 

Their time together begins with sunset and ends with sunrise.

But this time, it is the end.

 

 

_To be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay...so...I found this chapter particularly hard to write because I was never happy with it (I'm still not) but I had this scene in mind the moment I started writing the first chapter. However, I needed to bring it out here and I hope you kind of understand where I was going with Jim's decision. It's about control, having free will means being allowed to live your life the way you want but also get the chance to end it in a way you want. Jim wanted to live and he wanted to set Leonard free because he knew exactly Bones would not be able to move on if he still was around in some way...You know, Jim's usual self-sacrificing character basically. 
> 
> We are nearly at the end of this story! One more short chapter to go and I promise, I will stop putting Leonard in so much misery. My boy deserves to be loved! Both of them! 
> 
> I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Say hi to me on [Tumblr](https://marythepoppins.tumblr.com/);D


	4. Epiloge: Wednesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Wednesday and Leonard has promises to keep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright everyone! Here is the final chapter and just as always, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long! Enjoy! I hope it makes things alright between us and you don't hate me anymore! :'D

Here we are again. Arriving back at the same question: 

What kind of terrible love story is this? 

You just witnessed how the protagonist had to watch the love of his life crumble to dust, with nothing left to love. 

Basically, we return to the same conclusion, love is messy. Love is unkind but one way or another, no matter which appearance it happens to take, we all need love. This is why people keep letting it in. Keep getting hurt. Only to do it all over again.

It leaves behind bruises. It changes us. And it for sure has changed Leonard.

Sometimes Len feels cut loose. He looks around, sees the world passing by him, sees how nothing seems to have changed. Everything running just as usual. 

The sun goes up, the day begins. The sun goes down, the day ends. 

There is a routine. And he embraces it because sticking to a plan keeps his thoughts away from what he has lost, what is missing in this world. Something so bright and beautiful but people just do not see it. 

How can nobody else notice? How can he be the only one to acknowledge how the sun has suddenly stopped being warm and the stars being bright? How come nothing has changed but his heart has stopped beating, meanwhile the rest of the world lives and breathes?

He finds himself on most days searching for something, for a reason to be, a trail to follow. He feels like a traveller in the dark, wandering along a path that he cannot see…mostly because he doesn’t want to see anything. 

Because nothing matters. 

At night, he keeps seeing ghosts that make him sweet promises to take him back to the day all those months ago when he met Jim. 

What the hell is he supposed to do? 

The temptation is there. How easy would it be to take the hand of his ghost and be led down the road to a place where everything is better. Where everything is perfect because Jim is there. 

But Leonard keeps his promise to Jim. Both of his promises. 

He keeps going, he keeps living and he finds comfort and meaning in his work. Leonard focuses on his studies and stays close to his friends. 

(He even gets closer to Spock, imagine that…Len sure did not see this one coming..)

However, he still does occasionally ignore them. For example, when they try to set him up with somebody. Something Nyota seems very passionate about for some inexplicable reason. 

Leo also goes to the museum. 

It takes him nearly two months to find it in him to do this. Several sleepless nights of wrecking his brains, thoughts that slowly kill him from the inside. He needs closure. Leonard needs closure. 

He _deserves_ closure. 

A flask filled with bourbon tucked into the inside of his jacket, Leonard finds himself sitting on the bench in front of the World War I exhibit on a Wednesday at 12 pm. Just as promised. 

But what the hell is he waiting for though? 

The spot that used to be Captain James T. Kirk’s belongs now to a wax figure that looks like the Duke of Edinburgh himself. In his better days, of course. 

It’s as if he has never even existed. 

Thinking about it, he never probably had…but this is one of those thoughts Len doesn’t allow himself to have (again). 

Nevertheless, Leonard’s frown deepens, and he reaches into his jacket for the pocket bottle, the metal cool underneath his fingertips when his hand closes around it. 

Nobody has even raised any questions regarding the disappearance. The police simply arrested the three nightguards for breaking and entering into the museum and attempting to steal the valuable Tablet of Ahkmenrah. 

The fact that two of the men were tight to chairs and one knocked out in the park seems to have slipped their minds completely. 

A missing wax figure? What now? The police have limited resources as it is. They did not have the time to inquire into things like these. 

There isn’t a single soul on this planet that cares. Well, except for him.

What else has changed? Oh yes, the sudden free publicity for the museum! 

Leonard has never seen so many people here in the couple of times he has visited during the daytime. But right now, the whole building is buzzing with people, children running around and yelling. The few tour guides the museum has have their hands unusually full but they seem to enjoy it.

Great for the museum’s profits, bad for Leonard’s chances to pick out his flask without anybody noticing.

Things also take an annoyingly unexpected turn when somebody sits down directly next to him on his bench, reducing the likelihood of him drowning his sorrows in a sip of bourbon to zero. 

However, it gets worse. The stranger starts talking. 

Oh, what has he done so terribly wrong, that the universe keeps punishing him? Hasn’t Leo suffered enough already? Not only doesn’t he get to have a drink, but he also has to listen to this…kid (he hasn’t even looked at him, but his voice sounds quite young) and let him talk his ear off. 

Maybe he should just leave…but for whatever reason, he stays and keeps his eyes fixed on the exhibit. Waiting for a sign? Len really doesn’t know anymore.

He really tries to ignore the stranger, but something about his words and his voice makes it impossible to be ignored.

Leonard already doesn’t like him. 

“You know, the Duke of Edinburgh over there hasn’t always been part of this exhibition.” 

Leonard grunts in response and rolls his eyes lightly, wondering if this guy would mind if he picked out his flask. The kid seems pretty distracted by listening to himself talk.

“They put him there after one of the exhibits went missing during this whole break-in-fiasco a few weeks ago.”

The man goes quiet and Len can feel his eyes on him, but he doesn’t bother to acknowledge him with a look. Though he does respond because he gets this feeling that the kid needs an interactive audience. And he really can’t explain why he does that.

“No way. Robbery? Here?”, the fake astonishment in his voice is either surprisingly convincing or the stranger simply doesn’t care because he immediately continues talking. 

“I know! Crazy! And there is so much more about this case that the police didn’t even look into. The museum also specifically asked the newspapers to keep certain details out of the story. The director didn’t want to upset the big people over in New York because they promised her to bring over some of their Ancient Greece exposits.” 

Leonard hums quietly, a frown pulling at the corner of his mouth when he works slowly through these words. He finally manages to let go of the bottle and he folds his hands instead, leans slightly forward to rest his forearms on his knees. Apparently, he isn’t the only one who gives a damn. This chatterbox of a human seems to have quite a lot of regard for the museum actually and somehow has noticed that some things don’t make sense. He can hear also the enthusiasm in his voice and by the sounds of it, this kid is looking forward to the new exhibit. 

If Len wasn’t so focused on being depressed and annoyed, he would actually think that this is a bit adorable…and nerdy. 

But Leonard is damn focused on being both of the former mentioned things, so he just wants the kid to finally shut the heck up. Which doesn’t happen.

“It’s actually really disappointing that nobody bothered to find the missing exhibit. His name was Captain James Tiberius Kirk, you know? And his life story was way more exciting than the Duke of Edinburgh’s. He was just a normal guy who tried to do good…” 

Amazing…now the kid is about to make him cry because the stranger really sounds like it matters to him. But nobody cares as much as Leonard does…It somehow makes him even angry that somebody else has the nerve to think they have the right to grieve…

Alright, this is silly. The kid obviously isn’t grieving about the loss, but he talks in a way as if he believes to have known his Jim and this frustrates him. But his next words stop Len from growling at him. 

“And he is also kind of the reason why I’m working here. Do you want to know a fun fact?” 

The man doesn’t even wait for Leonard to respond. Probably, he has accepted that Len isn’t really a talkative listener. 

“Captain Kirk is my great-grandfather.” 

For the first time Leonard pays attention and his scowl deepens. What was this kid even on about? He turns his head around but the second he does, he wishes he didn’t and had kept staring into nothingness. 

Because he forgets how to breathe…He was staring at Jim. His profile. The same nose, the same blond hair, and the same crooked smile. For a second, he thinks that he is hallucinating because no way in hell can this be real. Jim…his Jim…is gone. He saw him disappear. 

Completely unaware of Leonard’s shock, the stranger continues with his tale, his eyes fixed at the wax figure of the Duke of Edinburgh. 

“The history department reached out about two years ago when I started my degree here and they asked me if I had any photos of my great-grandfather as a young man because they were planning on remodelling this exhibit and wanted to give their Captain Kirk a younger face. Unfortunately, only a few family photos survived the war, and none were of him as a young guy, but I remembered that my grandpa Tiberius always used to tell me how much I looked like his father. So, after a few discussions, the museum more or less created a wax figure of me.” 

The kid chuckles quietly, a bit smug about the fact that somebody bothered to model a figure after him, and his eyes meet Len’s which effectively make his heart stop. 

His eyes. They are blue. The blue of a Georgian summer sky. 

“Ironically, my parents even named me after him.”, the man grins crookedly and inclines his head slightly confused when he notices him staring. “It’s a strange family thing we can’t seem to get rid of.” 

Leonard can’t help it though. Can’t help the staring. How can he know that this is real? 

Is this what…no…is this who… _his_ Jim wanted him to see? His great-grandson? Who not only looks like him but also shares his name?

 _Freaked-out_ would be a rude understatement to describe Len’s current mental state. Damn it, he wanted closure! Not some freaking reminder of what he has lost, sitting right next to him, just as bright and radiant. Leonard doesn’t deserve this kind of pain. Not again…

“Jim…”, he whispers his name, still staring at him in disbelief and this blue-eyed kid immediately smirks a bit sheepishly which makes Leonard actually feel a bit sorry for leaving him so irritated, but he can’t think clearly right now. 

How can this be? 

“Uhm…Yeah. That’s me. Jim Kirk.”, Jim chuckles a bit nervously and rubs over his neck, “Museum guide on Wednesdays, morning until the afternoon. Full-time astrophysics slash computer science student the rest of the week.”, he eyes Len curiously and smiles lightly, “And you are?” 

His smile. Everything about him is so familiar. It hurts so badly. And he doesn’t know Leonard…

But he doesn’t know this Jim either. He is a stranger to him. Somehow this thought grounds him, brings him back to reality and stops him from having a panic attack.

“McCoy. Leonard McCoy. I’m a med student. Uhm…”, he takes a second to formulate a coherent thought in his mind before speaking again, meanwhile, Jim’s still watching him with interest. “Why did you…tell me all of this?”

A soft blush appears on the blonde’s cheeks and he laughs softly with a light shrug, “Honestly, I don’t know. I guess you were just the first person to sit here who seemed to know that something isn’t right about this exhibit…”, a small smile appears on his lips, “And you also looked like somebody who could use somebody to talk to.” 

This gets a quiet huff out of him and Leonard rolls his eyes, but he keeps analysing Jim’s features. The closer he looks, the more differences he finds. This Jim isn’t any less handsome than the Jim he knew, obviously, but he finds small scars all over his face. A few pockmarks on his cheeks and forehead, the reminder of a cut under his lip and his nose is a tiny bit crooked as if it has been broken a couple of times before and not been straightened correctly. 

His eyes even…something about them is different. Maybe it is the lack of recognition, but he can’t help the feeling that it has to be something else. 

Leonard is so deeply lost in thoughts that he nearly misses Jim’s next question, “So, do you come to the museum often?” 

Apparently, the kid is quite eager to keep up their conversation and for some reason, Leonard rewards him with an answer. He is full of surprises today.

“I- I used to work here. As a nightguard. Med school is a bitch and I needed the money, but I quit before the break-in.”, he runs with his hand through his hair and Jim blinks at him surprised, he could see some wheels clicking in that mind of his, so rapid and quick. Even the blue of his eyes seems to change.

Jim points out his index finger towards him and he barks an amused laugh, “Oh, hang on, you are Nyota’s nightguard friend!” The grin on his lips spreads all across his face and a few wrinkles appear beneath his eyes.

If he wasn’t so confused, this sight would have taken his breath away. Instead, Leonard’s frown reappears, and he stares at Jim’s finger and then at his face, “What?” Nyota? How does she suddenly fit into the picture? 

The kid shifts on the bench to face the other man more, so excited about his discovery that he seems to radiate energy with the force of a supernova. “Nyota Uhura? Smart, scary, speaks more languages than I know exist, very beautiful. Has a robot for a boyfriend named Spock? Rings a bell? I’m a friend of Spock’s!” Jim smiles at him widely, waiting for Leonard to respond and it sure seems like a miracle to Len that the blonde doesn’t spontaneously combust into flames during that time. “Oh…yeah…wait. Spock’s friend?” Newsflash, Spock doesn’t have particular many friends and only a few Leonard is aware of. Who knew what this guy is up to in his free time anyway, right? 

He blinks at the kid blankly a few times, allowing his already overloading brain cells to catch up with whatever is happening right now. At one point, however, it finally makes klick and his eyes nearly pop at the impact of this realisation. “Hang on, are you...the disgusting green algae drink guy?”

Holy shit, is the universe really that small? No way in hell is this a coincidence…honestly, this somehow makes him question his sanity. 

But to his own amazement Leonard doesn’t freak…there is something about Jim and this place that keeps the panic away. Is it weird that it all makes sense? In a strange, messed-up, golden magical tablet kind of way? 

His response only makes Jim laugh again and he must admit, it is a sound…he can get used to. It’s different as well, his voice is not the same. Jim has something smug and cocky about him but in a way, he seems too charming to resist. And of course, the kid knows that. “Damn, you tried Spock secret recipe that he invented just for me? You should feel honoured. It means he likes you.” 

Spock likes him? Only the thought of this possibility gets an unimpressed huff out him. Alright, he doesn’t dislike Spock, at least not as much anymore but suggesting that there is some sort of friendship between the two? No never. Jim doesn’t know what he is talking about. “I think you sniffed too much glue stick, kid. I’m not even sure what friendship with Spock would look like.” 

Jim looks at him, cackling again but tries instead to fake an offended look, “Hey, Spock’s my best friend.” Leonard raises his eyebrow at him, meeting his eyes with his signature unruffled facial expression. “Only supports my point.” A chatterbox like Jim friends with the stoic man who doesn’t even smile? His power of imagination is not made for this. 

“Nyota likes Spock.”, the younger man shrugs and smirks a bit crookedly, watching Leonard with exponentially growing curiosity. 

Another thing that Leonard cannot possibly explain but it’s not his place to judge. After all, he fell in love with a wax figure…Love is complicated! But this still doesn’t mean that he is friends with Spock. Never. “She does. It is impossible to overlook, actually. I still don’t get how they are together, to be honest. Not trying to be rude, it’s obvious that they are in love but they are just so…”, he stops for a moment, searching for the right word but Jim is already there with the proper input. 

“So different? Yes, I get what you mean.”, he nods softly, “But my grandpa Tiberius always used to tell me that life sometimes has a…” 

“…strange way of bringing people together.” The following words leave his mouth without thinking, too stunt to acknowledge that it should be near impossible for him to simply guess it. He realises his mistake and looks away sheepishly, a light blush on his cheek but Jim is only staring at him with a slightly confused smile on his lips. 

“Huh…Yes…That’s exactly it.”, he chuckles lightly and squints his eyes when he leans more towards Leonard in a gesture of irritation. “Are you psychic or something?” Because the blonde is pretty sure that this is not really a common saying. 

Leonard quickly shakes his head and tries to find a way to explain…everything in a way. But give him a break with rationality, he is dealing with a lot. Confusing feelings…that might end up biting him in the ass one day but for now…for now, he just goes with it. “No…but I used to know somebody who…said something pretty similar.” Damn, he is smooth as hell today, but Jim just gives him the benefit of the doubt and smiles interestedly. 

“Were they good looking?” The question alone gets a huff out of him and he traces his eyes slowly over Jim’s features. Finding the differences and holding on to them.

“Yeah.”, he breathes deeply and harrumphs to ease this heavy feeling on his throat, “Very.” 

Jim hums softly in response and there is something in his eyes that Len can’t quite define but it makes his helpless heart beat faster, “Were they smart?” 

Leonard can’t help the soft chuckle when he nods in agreement, “More like a genius.”

The other man raises his hands slightly in confusion because apparently, this person seems kind of perfect. Smart and good looking. What else can one hope for? “So, what happened?” It seems like a valid question even to Leonard and he frowns a bit thinking about an answer that won’t make him seem…insane?

“We…uh…were too different and it would have never worked out so he…”, Leo folds his hands in his lap to keep them from nervously waving around. “He let me go. I was devasted…”, he bites his bottom lip for a second, being more honest than he initially planned, “I still am sometimes. It’s as if he left me with nothing but my bones.” 

This feeling…it’s all-consuming. And there is rarely anything he can do to prevent it. He just has to live through the moment, take a step back and carry on just as usual. This moment also when he realises that…he’s actually never told anybody about this. Sure, his friends know that something has happened, but Len never actually told them. Jim is the first to know the truth and…it seems right because it happened naturally. 

When Leonard finally finds the bravery to meet those soft blue eyes again, he doesn’t find the pity he expected but understanding and empathy, all packed in a tender smile. It’s the expression of a man who knows what it is like to lose somebody, to be left alone and forever questioning whether one’s heart would ever start beating again. 

“I’m sorry…Sounds like you had a rough time.” That puts it lightly, but Len still inclines his head with another sigh. “You can definitely say that, yes.” A soft confused laugh escapes him, suddenly feeling very self-conscious about his openness. After all, Jim is a stranger who he met five minutes ago…this type of self-disclosure is really not Leonard’s usual terrain. “And I really don’t know why I’m telling you this…” 

However, Jim doesn’t seem to mind and he gives him another crooked grin, “People tell me I’m an exceptionally good listener. How about a coffee in the fancy museum café and you tell me more about this mysterious guy? Or we can talk about something else. Anything. My treat.” The kid looks at him out of hopeful puppy eyes and only a true monster could ever try to deny this expression anything. And Leonard is no monster.

God, he must be crazy. This is so wrong in many ways…this isn’t his Jim. This kid just looks like him and shares his name…

But his heart has already made the decision for him. 

Love is messy and complicated and who is there to tell him that this is not meant to be? It’s such a bizarre thing, there cannot be a wrong or right choice. He has seen tiny tin soldiers come to life and battle each other, played fetch with a T-Rex skeleton and became friends with a naughty capuchin. It’s strange but this is honestly not the weirdest thing he’s encountered during his time here.

All he can do is do what he thinks is right for himself and if this includes having a cup of coffee with this hyperactive history nerd, so be it. 

“Yeah…I’d like that.” The smile on his lips appears on its own and it is probably the most genuine smile he’s managed in a long time. And the way Jim looks at him in return? The warm smirk that reaches his eyes makes Leo’s heart skip a beat and he gets up off the bench to follow Jim to the small café.

He has no idea where this will lead them. Hell, he doesn’t even know if there will be a “them” at all! But those are worries for another day. 

“Hey, did you know that Nyota is a direct offspring of the Egyptian royal family that the Tablet of Ahkmenrah belong to?”, Jim grins at him widely, waves of excitement radiating of him again and it makes him smiles only more.

Leonard might have had his doubts before but he is pretty sure that things will be alright. He will be alright. 

“No, I had no idea.” But somehow, he isn’t surprised. 

Their time together starts on a Wednesday afternoon on a bench in the museum…

… and it has only begun.

 

 

_The end._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've actually had this chapter done for a long time but I was just reluctant to post it. It doesn't feel right to be frank but on the other hand, it does? I have mixed feelings. Then I just decided that it is time to finish this and get it over with. Maybe it's good. Leonard is just as confused as I am but he is meant to be with Jim and who knows if the Jim he loved is just like the man he was made after? It is for you to decide if you think I made the right decision.
> 
> Thank you so much again for reading this story! It really means a lot to me and your comments always were a pleasure to read!!  
> And stay tuned! I have a short One-Shot coming up soon and a multi-chapter story in the making set in the good old Starfleet Universe! ;D
> 
> Say hi to me on [Tumblr](https://marythepoppins.tumblr.com/)!! ;D


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